Animals — both owned and stray — are profoundly affected by wars, natural disasters, and displacement crises, yet their welfare is rarely integrated into humanitarian planning.
In humanitarian crises, animal welfare is both an ethical concern and a practical one. Animals suffer directly from deprivation, injury, and abandonment — and their welfare is linked to human wellbeing through food security, livelihoods, emotional bonds, and disease risks. Integrating animal welfare into humanitarian response frameworks reduces animal suffering, improves community recovery, and strengthens disease surveillance. The barrier is primarily systemic: animal welfare is not yet treated as a mainstream humanitarian issue by funding bodies and response agencies.